


At One Glance

by AbbieHollowDays (USS_Ichabbie), JayWrites, USS_Ichabbie



Category: Actor RPF, American Actor RPF
Genre: AU, AU!Chris Evans, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Smut, sexy fun times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 07:44:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2301935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USS_Ichabbie/pseuds/AbbieHollowDays, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayWrites/pseuds/JayWrites, https://archiveofourown.org/users/USS_Ichabbie/pseuds/USS_Ichabbie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Janelle McNeal has recently moved to Boston. One night she meets a charming man (Chris Evans) at a party and sparks fly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Wanna Be Down

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU Chris Evans.

Janelle took another sip of her drink and tried not to roll her eyes at the guy talking to her.  She had deliberately chosen this quiet corner of the room to have a moment to herself until she could think up a reasonable excuse to have to leave. But then she made the fatal mistake of giving a polite, absent-minded smile when she caught the eye of one of her fellow party-goers which he had taken as an invitation.

She might not have minded so much if he were somewhat attractive… or at all interesting.  Instead, she was cornered by one of Swamp Thing’s descendants.  By the look of him, you would have thought the room was 30 degrees hotter than it was.  Dark, medium length hair hung in limp clumps that stuck to his glistening forehead and beads of sweat dotted his upper lip.  He leaned forward to laugh at one of his own jokes and she caught a hefty whiff of what she could only assume was everything he’d ingested in the past twenty-four hours.  Coffee… onions… garlic… some kind of meat… beer… plus probably a dozen cigarettes like the one he had tucked behind his ear.

What was his name again? He had told her when he sauntered over and introduced himself thirty minutes ago, but the loud music drowned out part of it. He’d then launched into a long winded exposition on the exciting world of commercial real estate and she didn’t care enough to ask him to repeat it.

“You see,” Swamp Thing continued loudly, “most people just don’t understand or appreciate the complexities of what I do. But you’re not like that are you?” He leaned in closer almost as if he wanted to kiss her. He didn’t (thank God) instead he said, “You’re just…gorgeous. You know that?”

Janelle crinkled her nose and tilted her head in a desperate attempt to escape the rush of hot air and the stench eking out of his mouth. “T-thank you,” she said before sharply exhaling.

Swamp Thing was just one of many guys, too many really, that had tried to hit on her the moment she entered the party.  She had spent the better part of the last hour kicking herself for allowing her friend Camille to drag her along. She thought it would be more of an adult get together—drinks, music, conversation—but the event turned out to be nothing more than a frat party minus the underage drunk coeds.  She mentally scoffed at the word “party.” She was a thirty-one year old woman at a goddamn house party.  If that didn’t  just scream “I have nothing better to do with my Friday nights…”

She looked around for help. _Somebody! Anybody!_ Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Camille. _Look at me, Cami. Look at me…_ As if she could hear Janelle’s thoughts, Camille turned her head in Janelle’s direction, catching the silent scream of "help me!" in her eyes. But rather than rushing to her aid, Camille (who was engaged in what looked like a much more interesting conversation) just shrugged her shoulders implying there was nothing she could do. Janelle’s pleading eyes melted into a death glare. As soon as she figured out a way to free herself from Swamp Thing she was going to have a (not so) nice and long conversation with her “friend.”

Completely oblivious to the look of fear  and annoyance she wore on her face, Swamp Thing continued his attempts to chat her up. “How ‘bout a kiss for ol’ Nathan, huh?” Nathan! That was his name. Janelle pressed her hand to his chest and tried to push him away from her.

“How ‘bout no, Nathan?” He ignored her and puckered his lips. Janelle grunted while holding him back.

“Honey! There you are!” Janelle heard a deep voice behind her say. “I’m so sorry I’m late, sweetie. Traffic was hell. Who’s your friend?” he asked stretching out his hand to Nathan. “I’m Chris.”

Janelle looked up into Chris’ face. His blue eyes assuring her that he was there to help. “Uh, honey,” the word came out more strained than affectionate, “th-this is…”

Nathan glared at Chris’ hand but didn’t shake it. “Nathan,” he said tersely to Chris before returning his focus to Janelle. “You have a boyfriend?”

“Well…,” Chris made a face that Janelle would find adorable if they had met under different circumstances, “Fiancé really.”

Nathan furrowed his brow and looked at Janelle’s hands. “Really? Then where’s the ring?”

Janelle opened her mouth to form an excuse but Chris quickly said, “It’s getting resized. Damn thing fell off the moment I put on her finger. Isn’t that right, baby?”

Janelle put her arms around his waist and hugged him close. “Sure is, sweetie,” she replied with a smile. Her nerves were calming down; making it easier for her to play along. “I told you I’m a five.”

“And I bought a seven!”

“He never listens.”

Nathan’s eyes narrowed then jumped repeatedly from Chris’ face to Janelle’s. He took a sip of his beer before asking Janelle, “Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyf-, uh, fiancé?”

“Well, it was kinda hard to get a word in edgewise with your real estate talk and, you know, the sexual assault.”

“Hey! I was just…,” Nathan began but Chris cut him off.

“Dude, this is the part where you walk away.” Chris’ tone was amicable but his expression warned that things would turn physical if Nathan would not heed his advice. Luckily, Nathan walked away without saying another word. Janelle breathed a sigh of relief when he left and let her arms drop from Chris’ waist as he turned to face her. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks. I had been trying for the last thirty minutes to get Swamp Thing to leave me alone.”

“‘Swamp Thing?’” Chris said, raising one eyebrow.

“Yeah…Didn’t you see the family resemblance?”

Chris looked in the direction of Nathan and nodded. “You know… now that you mention it… he kind of smelled like him, too.”

For the first time that evening, Janelle genuinely smiled.  “Now how would you know what swamp thing smells like?” She put her hand to her chest and let out a light fake gasp. “Are you cheating on me, sir?”

“Well…I mean, you’re nice and all but how can a man resist a human/vegetable hybrid? No, wait, he wasn’t a vegetable, was he? What was he? When I was a kid I thought he was made out of garbage…Or some type of greens…And I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“A little bit,” Janelle answered still smiling.

Chris groaned at himself. “Sorry. I do that sometimes. My sisters mock me about it a lot.”

“No. No. It’s….cute.”

A flush of red burned under Chris’ cheeks. He tugged on his left ear (Janelle wasn’t sure if it was out of habit or nerves) before shoving his hands in his pockets. “Um, thank you. I…guess…”

For some reason, Janelle found herself unable to resist toying with him. “You guess? You don’t know whether you want to thank me for a compliment or not?”

The blush in his cheeks darkened turning his face beet red. “No! No. I-I meant…I thought it was kind of a nice…well it _was_ a nice thing to…” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back with a groan.

Janelle brought a hand over her mouth in order to not fall out laughing. He was just so adorable. Long eyelashes (which she was presently fighting the urge to run her fingers over) framed his kind, blue eyes. And those lips, which were turned up into the most charming smile, were very kissable, Janelle thought.

Chris cleared his throat. “Um…maybe I should start over?”

Janelle lowered her hand—a laugh still threatening to burst out—and quickly said, “Maybe you should. It’d be a shame to have to call off our engagement so soon.”

He inhaled deeply and extended his hand. “Hello. My name is Chris Evans.”

She shook his hand. “Hello, Chris Evans. My name is Janelle McNeal.”

“‘Janelle?’” It sounded as if he was rolling the “L’s” in her name around his tongue like he was trying to get a feel for them. “I like it. It’s a beautiful name.”

“Thank you, Chris.” She leaned in and in a loud whisper added, “And _that’s_ how you accept a compliment.”

Chris gave a light chuckle. “You got me there.” He opened his mouth as if he was going to say more but then closed it.  His eyes darted around; he tilted his head slightly as if he were weighing the options of what to say next. “I was…”

 _Don’t be nervous._ Janelle thought. _Just ask me simple stuff like…where I’m from or..._

“So…that guy…what a jerk, huh?”

 _No, Chris. No._ “Yeah…a major asshole,” she sighed. “But I’m used to it, sad to say. Sometimes I just wanna go to a party and not have to deal with that bullshit, ya know?”

“Uh, yeah.” Chris looked at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I understand that. Some people are just….you know…They don’t know how they come off to people. Not that he didn’t know because he was being an asshole, like you said, but usually…Other people…non-asshole people don’t know…”

Janelle sighed. He was sweet but she was going to be here all night waiting for him to make a move. “Chris, listen. You’re a cute motherfucker so I’m gonna put you out of your misery. You wanna grab dinner tomorrow night? Say…around eight?”

“Oh my god! Yes! I mean…,” he cleared his throat and, in a much calmer tone, repeated, “Yes. Sure. Eight. That sounds great. Wonderful. Thank you.”

Did he really just _thank_ her? “You’re welcome?”

“Okay…” There was another small awkward pause as he again looked like he was searching for what to say.

It amazed Janelle how the guy who bravely came to her rescue earlier was the same guy who now stood before her choking on his words. “Chris…,” she said tenderly. “This is the part where you ask me for my number.”

“Right! Right…Sorry…I’m usually better at this. I swear…It’s just that I’ve never…” He cleared his throat again.

“Never…,” she coaxed. _Please don’t say “dated a black girl”… please don’t say “dated a black girl”..._

“…Never met a girl as gorgeous as you.”

Janelle didn’t try to hide the broad smile that grew on her face. _Oh, this dude,_ she thought _, is smoother than he lets on…_ She licked her lips and swore that she caught him giving them a quick glance as she did.

She extended her palm. ”Thank you! Now hand me your phone and I’ll put my number in it, Slick.” He smiled as she put in her digits. She returned the phone.

He shot her that adorable smile of his again. (Janelle would’ve swooned if she was a different woman). “Um,” he rubbed the back of his neck again. “Maybe we can…”

“Ew… Asshole! ” Camille called out loud enough that it could be heard of over the music and other partygoers. “Janelle! We are leaving. Now!”

“What? Why,” Janelle asked annoyed.

“Because that guy you were talking to has been hitting on me for the last five minutes and just….” She shuddered. “Bleh!”

“Wow. Five whole minutes,” Janelle quipped. “You poor thing. Must’ve been awful. Just give me a minute to…”

“No! We have to go now!” Camille grabbed Janelle’s arm and began pulling her away.

Janelle snatched away. “At least let me say goodbye!” She turned back to Chris. “I’m sorry. I gotta…”

“Right. Go… Go.  It was nice meeting you, Janelle.”

“You too, Chris…” They shook hands. Janelle took the opportunity to give him one last once over. He looked into her light brown eyes and she found herself overwhelmed with the desire to kiss him. Just a soft peck on the lips.

“Janelle! Let’s go,” Camille called out; her arms folded across her chest.

Janelle rolled her eyes. “Her majesty beckons.” She smiled to herself as she realized they were still holding hands. They both seemed reluctant to let go. She pulled him close and whispered in his ear, “You better call me.” She looked back at him. His eyes were low; his breath slightly ragged.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he said eagerly. She smiled before turning and walking away. She wasn't sure what made her take that one last look, but before passing through the doors she caught his eyes slowly traveling up her body before meeting hers. He grinned and winked at her.

 _Motherfucker_ , she thought chuckling to herself.


	2. The Pleasure Principle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris prepares for his date with Janelle and gets some much needed advice from his friends

"Eddie!" Mackie leaned back and yelled into the kitchen while turning down the volume on the TV.

Chris winced and raised his hands in protest. "Dude!  You don't have to... "

"Nah, son...Hold up, hold up, hold up! _Ed-day_!" Mackie yelled again then held his sides and indulged in a belly laugh that shook the entire sofa.

Chris sighed in resignation before taking a swig of beer. He had a feeling that watching Saturday’s UMass game with his buddies Anthony Mackie and Eddie Johnson was now going to be co-opted by the news that he had a date later that night with Janelle.  He tried to subtly mention it to Mackie during a commercial break but apparently the idea that he had "gone black" was too good to keep to himself.

Mackie called out for the third time. "Ed--"

"What do you want, man," Eddie finally responded in exasperation.

"You owe me fifty dollars! Gimmie my fifty dollars!" Mackie said; his body still wracking with laughter.

A bald brown head poked out into the hallway.  "What? What do I owe you fifty dollars for?"

"You owe me fifty U.S. dollars because Christopher Evans, a.k.a. 'The Whitest White Boy That Ever Did White,' got a date tonight. With a what...?" Mackie's left hand cupped his ear as he leaned toward Chris.

"...with a 'sistah'." Chris said with an embarrassed grin while putting finger quotes around the word "sistah."

"With. A. Sistah!" Mackie cackled again and licked his lips before adding, "With a fine, Nubian queen...With a, a..."

"Oh, for real, man," Eddie said moving in for a fist bump. Chris nodded in reply and raised his own fist and hit it against Eddie’s.

“For. Real. Now where’s my fifty dollars," Mackie asked with his palm out.

"You’re seriously gonna hold me to a bet from the tenth grade," Eddie said to Mackie as he backed away from the sofa.

"Oh, I most certainly am," Mackie answered nodding emphatically. “Most definitely!"

Eddie sucked his teeth and swatted his hand dismissively before turning back towards the kitchen. “Fuck outta here.” Mackie continued laughing.

"Wait... You guys had a bet on me since high school," Chris asked, absentmindedly taking another sip of his beer.

"Oh no... we've had a bet on you since the _seventh_ _grade_ when we caught you staring at Miss Tyson’s big ol' booty at recess."  Mackie flashed a gap-toothed grin.

Eddie returned from the kitchen and placed a platter of wings and two boxes of pizza on the coffee table. "Yeah, we just upped the anty to fifty dollars in high school when you nearly lost your damn life tryna holler at Regina Peters."

"Oh, man...Regina!" Chris laughed and put wings and two slices of Hawaiian pizza on his plate. "I nearly forgot about her!"

"I'm not surprised,” Mackie said while grabbing three slices of pepperoni pizza, “seeing as her daddy seemed intent on beating all memory of her outta you when he chased you out the yard with a baseball bat!" Mackie imitated a terrified teenaged Chris running down the street then doubled over with laughter. "Scared my boy so bad he ain't never date a black girl since!"

Chris, who had just taken a large bite, struggled not to choke at the remembrance but managed to nod and say, "She was totally worth it though!"

"Ooh...She was. To Regina!" Eddie raised his bottle of beer and took a sip.

"Regina," Chris and Mackie responded in kind. The trio returned their attention to the game and groaned in unison at the ref's bad call and for the next half hour the friends were engrossed in watching the game.

At halftime, Mackie leaned forward and broke the silence while Eddie went to grab more drinks.  "So this girl...What's she like, man?"

Chris swallowed, put his hand to his chest and then broke into a broad smile. "Oh, dude...She's sexy as hell! She's got this body..."

“Banging?”

“Ooh, Macks! She’s so fine it should be illegal.”

Mackie smiled. "I hear that. Do she got the booty, though?"

"She does," Chris chuckled. "She does have the booty, yes."

"Alright, alright, man,"  Mackie said while slapping Chris on the back.

"She's just...gorgeous, ya know? I love her lips and she's got these chocolate brown eyes...and, like, mocha colored skin and..."

"Evans!  Are you hungry," Eddie called out from the kitchen.

"Uh...," Chris furrowed his brow in confusion at the interruption. "No? I'm good."

Eddie set each of the drinks down on coasters. "Oh? Because I thought with all this food talk, you might be trying to tell me you're still hungry!" Met with yet another look of confusion from Chris, Eddie continued. "You ain't in high school no more, man!  You can't go around comparing sophisticated, grown ass black women to food. That shit ain't cute no more.”

“Never was, to be honest with you," Mackie chimed in before sipping his beer.  

“True,” Eddie agreed. He shook his head and said to Mackie, "He ain't ready, man. He ain't ready."

Chris looked to Mackie for more of an explanation.

"What my esteemed colleague is trying to say is...you may be in need of a primer on dating an adult black woman."

"O-oh. Uh...Ok..." Chris rubbed the back of his neck. "What do I need to know?"

"Well, Eddie already gave you rule one: 'Don't ever compare black women to food.' They're people not your late night snack."

"Ok. Got it!"

"Rules number two through ten: 'Never, ever, ever, ever, _ever_ touch a black woman's hair!'"

"O...kay?  Can I ask why?"

Eddie sighed and shook his head and pressed the record button on the remote before turning off the TV. "You're gonna want to take some notes, son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know...it's short (really short!) but don't worry the date is coming. And more! Thanks for reading.


	3. Dinner For Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Janelle finally go on their first date.

Chris picked at his napkin before staring at his watch again. It was  8:05. He exhaled a gust of breath. _It’s okay, Chris. She’s just a little late. She’ll be here._

“Still waiting,” the waitress asked in a bubbly tone.

He had gotten to the restaurant fifteen minutes earlier than their appointed time out of worry that he would be late. The waitress, Tara, her nametag said, had been patient with him. Every few minutes she would come back around to his table to check on him. Although her tone was friendly, her eyes held a hint of pity. He wanted to defend himself. To yell out, “I have a date! I swear!” but instead he continued picking at his napkin before answering. “Uh…yeah.”

“How about something to drink, hmm?” She gave him those pitying eyes again.

He thought about ordering a bottle of champagne or wine but decided against it. That might have been too romantic and he didn’t want to seem as if he was pressuring her. _Maybe a glass of scotch instead?_ No. Too casual. That would make it seem as if they were old friends catching up. _Mixed drinks then?_ He nixed that idea as well. Cocktails were for parties not first dates. He sighed. Maybe he was overthinking this? “Um…Just water is fine. Thanks.”

A couple more minutes passed and Chris was growing worried. He pulled out his cell and brought up her number. _No, Chris. Don’t call. Don’t look any more desperate than you did last night._ He put the phone back in his pocket. _But if you_ don’t _call and something happened she’ll think you don’t care._ He retrieved his phone again. _Then again…_

“Water!” Tara gleefully poured the liquid. “I’ll bring you some breadsticks so you can have something to chew on while you wait, okay?” She was barely able to hide the sympathy in her voice this time. He was sure she was a breath away from calling him “poor baby.”

Honestly, he couldn’t blame her. The restaurant was filled with couples and he was the odd duck sitting alone. Every now and then he caught a few of the patrons looking his way and whispering to one another. He _imagined_ they were all calling him some variation of “poor baby.” He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his water. He glanced at his phone. 8:08. He decided to text Mackie.

“Macks! She’s not here!” His knee bounced rapidly as he waited for Mackie’s reply. He nearly jumped when his phone dinged.

“Bro. Chill. She’s prolly on CPT.”

“Is that a bus?”

“NVM. She’ll be there.” Chris was about to send an “okay” in reply but another message from Mackie popped up. “U member the rules? Don’t fuck up boy.”

Chris _'_ mind travelled back to his earlier conversation with Mackie and Eddie. _The Rules to Dating a Black Woman_. They had written them on a notepad.

“Study it. Learn it. Love it,” Mackie had told him.

The rules! There were so many: Don’t bring up all the black celebrities, movies and music you like; don’t ask her if she likes chicken (everybody loves chicken); don’t touch her hair (“That one is the most important one! If you wanna live, bro, just do not _do_ it!” Eddie had told Chris in a voice so serious that it almost frightened him).

 _Holy hell, what were the rest?_ A bead of sweat formed on his brow and a quick fear rose in him. In the space of a few minutes he imagined at least a dozen horrifying scenarios all of which ended with a drink being thrown in his face or with him being slapped.

“Hey, hun, you okay?” Tara asked placing a hand on his shoulder.

Chris looked up at her. Her eyes now held a look of concern. “Yeah...I was just thinking about something.”

“About your date?” There was that pitying tone again. Or was it mocking? Either way, the look Chris gave her said that it would be wise for her to walk away. A credit to her profession,Tara accurately read him and saw to her other patrons.

Chris shook his head. _Maybe you_ should _leave. You already made a big enough ass of yourself._ As soon as the thought came into his mind, Janelle entered the restaurant. Every thought receded when he saw her. He could barely breathe at how beautiful she looked. The dress she wore was dark blue and cut low enough to show a hint of cleavage. It hugged every curve on her tiny frame. She smiled when she saw him and walked--or rather floated--toward him. He noticed that some of the other patrons were also watching the way her hips bounced slightly with each step.

"Hello, Chris.” It sounded as if she cooed his name.

“Janelle! Wow...”  He stood to greet her and placed a light kiss on her cheek.  “You look… Wow…”   _Fucking smooth, Chris._

She chuckled as he pulled out her seat for her. “Why, thank you! You’re such a gentleman.”  
  
Chris blushed and quickly changed the subject. “Did you find the place, ok?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m so sorry I’m late, Chris,” she said as she sat down. “There was some kind of problem with the damn subway. I tried to call but I couldn’t get any bars on my phone until I was nearly at the front doors. You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

“Oh, not long,” he lied. “A few minutes.”

“Good. Let’s order then. I’m starving.”

“Sure. Get whatever you want.”  
  
She smiled before looking at the menu. “Wow. Everything here looks so good.”

“Yeah the chi---” _Don’t bring up fucking chicken, Chris!_ “The, the...chicken parmesan is supposed to be good here.” He wanted to kick himself.

“Really? Hmmm…I think I’m more in the mood for seafood, though. I have been craving shrimp all week. Or maybe...”

Chris breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good. _Ok_ _ay. She’s not offended..._ _Now_ _just keep this going for the next hour or so..._

“So... what are you getting?”

Her question broke his train of thought.  For the nearly thirty minutes that he had been waiting, it never even dawned on him to glance at the menu. “Um...I-I guess the porchetta looks good. I don’t know I had a pretty big lunch, though. Maybe I’ll get the eggplant parmesan. It sounds good, but you can never really tell, can you? You order the eggplant and some wannabe Top Chef decides 'tonight’s the night!' and he adds a bunch of weird ingredients. And you’re like, ‘What is this? This isn’t what I ordered at all!’...but by that point you already ate some and so you feel bad for sending it back… and... I’m rambling again."

Janelle looked at him over her menu and smiled. “A little bit. But you’re cute so I’ll let it slide.” Chris beamed at the compliment and felt his cheeks blush.

“You guys ready to order?” Chris recognized the voice. It was Tara the Sympathizer.

“I am,” Janelle answered. “Chris?” He took a sip of his water and nodded without looking at Tara. He didn’t want to see what new expression she would throw his way. “Great. I’ll have the risotto.”

“Porchetta for me, please,” he said still without looking Tara’s direction.

“Could you bring me ice water with lemon? Oh! And a glass of your house white also, please.”

 _Shit!_ Chris thought. _I_ should _have ordered wine._ “A glass for me as well.”

“All right! I’ll be back in a few.” Tara tucked their menus under her arm before bouncing away.

“So...Janelle. You’re not from Boston, are you?”

“Um..no, actually. I was born in Georgia but grew up in Philly.”

“I thought I noticed a little bit of an accent.”

“ _My_ accent? What about yours? You guys ‘pahk the cah’ and shit. You all sound so funny to me.”

Chris laughed. “You should talk.What’s in this glass again? _Wooter?_ Is that what you _warsh_ your hands with?  
    
“Oh, okay. You wanna play this game?”

“Bring it.”

“New England teams…? They suck. Philly teams could kick their asses while in a coma.”

“Is that a fact?”

“That’s a fact!”

“Alright. Then when was the last time the Phillies won a World Series? It’s okay. I’ll wait.”

Janelle scoffed. “Look, they’re having _a little bit_ of a rough patch, okay?.”

Chris turned up his face. “A five year rough patch? Really? You can literally count the Sox’s championships on both hands”

“That’s the only way Sox fans would know how to count I guess.” She counted on her hand. “‘Uh...one….two….what comes after two?’”

“Philly fans wouldn’t know because they’ve only won two series!”

They were still playfully arguing over sports when Tara arrived with their meals. “Tara,” Chris began, “Will you please tell this hopeless, hopeless woman that the Sox are the fucking best.”

“I would but I’m actually a Mets fan.”

“Oh, hell no, girl!” Janelle joked. “The Mets?! Chris, are you hearing this?”

“Hearing. Working on believing.”

“Okay! Well...Call me if you need anything else,” Tara said before leaving; an indulgent smile plastered on her face.

“I think we might’ve upset her,” Janelle said.

“She upset us first! I mean, seriously… ? The Mets…?” They laughed before digging into their meals.

"So, Chris, what do you do?" Janelle asked while tossing a strand of her wavy brown locks away from her face before taking a sip of her wine.

Taking a minute to finish his mouthful he said, "I'm a teacher,"

"Really? So is my sister! She's a history teacher back at our old high school in Philly." She took a bite of the steamed broccoli that came with her meal. "What grade do you teach?"

"Seventh grade English."

Janelle made a face. "Ooh. My worst subject. Too many readings by too many dead white guys. I was always better at math and science."

Chris took a sip of his wine. "My students feel the same way as you do. Can you imagine teaching Romeo and Juliet to a bunch of thirteen-year-olds? It's like pulling teeth."

"So why keep doing it?"

"Because...I love it. Listen, I was in sales for six years before I started teaching. I made a ton of money and I hated every minute of it. But teaching…It’s totally worth it. To be able to affect a person. To inspire them; to help them grow…It may sound corny but I really think it’s a calling.”

Janelle smiled. “I bet your students just love you.”  
  
“Well...I don’t wanna brag but I do get the best gifts on Teacher Appreciation Day.”

“I bet all the students give you the shiniest apples.”

Chris laughed. "What about you?"

"I’m a musician but I moved up here to finish my masters in music composition at Harvard."

“Really? Which instrument do you play?"

“Piano. Although, I’ve been told you would never be able to tell by my tiny fingers.” She shrugged as she lifted her hands and flipped them from one side to the other.

"I like your hands.” _Jesus, Chris!_  “Um… I'm a UMass man myself,” he quickly added. “In fact, I was watching a Minutemen game earlier today."

“Oh? Did you all win?” Chris slightly cocked his head to one side and made a face signifying that his alma mater had lost. “Oh...I see. Still backing sorry teams, eh?”

“Hardy-har har,” Chris replied in a playful tone. He took another bite of his dinner before asking Janelle, “So...Harvard, huh? What’s that like?”

“Ugh. Amazing… exhausting... and expensive as hell. But it’ll all be worth it in the end. Shit. I mean, I hope so. I really miss my people back in Philly.  It’s hard being up here all by myself sometimes. Don’t get me wrong the people here are great, usually, but I just really miss Ana.”

“Ana?"

"My twin sister."

"Wow there's _two_ of you? I pity your parents,” he joked. Janelle shot him a dirty glare before laughing along with him.  
  
“Does she have bad tastes in sports teams as well?"

"Uh...You mean 'excellent taste,' Sox boy. And, no, she’s not really into sports. When we were younger my dad, my brothers, and I would spend Saturday's at a game and she would stay home flitting around with mom."

"My sister, Carly, was the same way. She never wanted to go out with our dad or our sister, Shanna, or my little brother Scott. She thought sports were ‘beneath her.’” He made a mocking voice and rolled his eyes.

“I don’t understand how people could hate sports, honestly,” Janelle chimed in. “Like, who hurt you?”

Chris threw his head back in laughter before continuing their conversation. “So you have a twin sister and how many brothers?"

"Two. My older brother Damien, then Anaïs, uh, Ana and me then, Leon."

“We come from large families don’t we?”

“Yeah. Both my parents have ten siblings combined. I can barely remember all their names let alone their children’s names!”

“Tell me about it.” Chris took a sip of his wine. “Family reunions are always the worst. So many relatives and not enough places to hide.”

Janelle giggled. “Thank god! There’s finally someone who understands me!”

\-------------

“You sure you don’t want anything? This looks really good.” Chris pushed the plate of tiramisu Tara placed in front of him a little closer to Janelle.

“No, thank you. I’m completely stuffed. This cappuccino is just perfect though.”

Janelle clasped her fingers around the cup and appreciated its warmth. She watched as Chris forked a piece of the dessert into his mouth like a giddy child. She took a moment to appreciate the look of sheer pleasure on his face.  
  
“You know…you clean up nicely, Evans.”  She rested her elbows on the table and continued studying his face. “Did you get a haircut? It looks great.”

“Yeah...Well…,” he began, “You just look so amazing and I didn’t want to come out looking like a….” _Don’t say it._ “...uh…” _Don’t you fucking say it!_ “...a scrub…”

He winced. He could hear Mackie and Eddie’s conversation from earlier that day replaying in his mind:

_"Rule number twelve: Don't lapse into nineties R &B lyrics when you can't think of what to say. You do that when you're nervous around new black people,” Mackie told him._

_“I don't do that! Do I?” Chris asked his eyes wide._

_“Yeah, man,” Eddie answered. “Every damn time.”_

_“We love you but it's kinda weird, dude,” Mackie chimed in. “Don't do it."_

“Did...Did you just say ‘scrub?’” Janelle asked with a wide grin on her face.   

“I was hoping you didn’t hear that.”

“I bet you were.” She giggled before adding, “Don’t tell me you’re still nervous. _I_ asked _you_ out, remember? As far as I’m concerned, everything’s fine. I’m having a really nice time.”

He leaned back in his seat and exhaled. “Oh thank God. I was talking to a couple of my friends earlier and they gave me this list…”

“List? What kind of list?”

“Nothing. It was just a little list of stuff I shouldn't do when on a date with…”

“With…?” She raised an eyebrow. “Wait…lemme guess. It was a black girl dating list.” Chris eyes grew wide. “Holy shit…It is!” Her face held a shocked expression.

“To be fair both of them are bla... African-American! They just didn’t want me to say or do really stupid shit and offend you.”

“Stupid shit. Like…. making a list?Right.” She shook her head. “Nothing stupid about that at all. You and your ‘black friends’ are really something.”

He grimaced at the way she said “black friends.” Her eyes were narrow and Chris was sure she was about to curse him out or kill him.  
  
 _Rule number fifteen: Do not mention you have black friends when you get into trouble. We will not save you._  
  
“Janelle...I-I…um...” Suddenly, she burst out in a laugh. “Okay. I’m very confused...and scared right now,” Chris said. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re adorable and your friends are such idiots. Look...The most important rule to dating black women, any woman really, is: treat us like we’re fucking people! Just use common sense and we’ll be cool.”

“Yeah.” He scoffed at his foolishness. “Of course. That makes sense.”

Tara brought them the check which Chris quickly paid. “How ‘bout I drive you home," he asked arising from his seat. “That is, unless you want to take thesubway again.”

“Ooh...I’d rather not at this hour. Thank you.”

He held the door opened for her as they exited the restaurant and walked to his car. He noticed Janelle watching him out the corner of his eye as he fished for his keys. “Something wrong?” He swiped a hand over the edges of his mouth. “Is there food or something on my face?”

“No. I’m just curious...What were these so called ‘rules’ anyway?”

“Um… From what I can remember…’Don’t dance. She’ll be better at it than you.’  ‘Don’t talk about politics, because you’ll just remind her that you’re The Man.’ ‘Don’t mention chocolate under _any_ circumstances.’

Janelle suppressed a giggle. “Oh my god. Really?”

“Really. I figured out they were just messing with me about a couple of them. But mostly they had to do with your hair. Don't ask about your hair, don't put my fingers in your hair... "

"Oh, that last one _is_ true...usually. But um... " Janelle licked her lips and in a low seductive tone added, "Since you’ve been a very good boy…I'll let you put your fingers wherever you like.”

Chris swallowed hard and nearly dropped his keys. Had he heard her correctly? “W-what?”

Janelle took a step forward until they were nearly touching and looked up at him. “I was oh so subtly asking if you wanted to go back to my place for a drink and then pretend to be interested in my art and music collection for a few minutes before ripping my clothes off. What do you say?”  

Illuminated by the fluorescence of the street lights, Janelle was quite possibly the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. If her words hadn’t dared him then her full lips did. He cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned down to press his lips against hers. He brought his other hand to the small of her back and pulled her closer. She moaned softly into his mouth as she lifted herself up on her toes to run her hands up his arms before resting them on his shoulders.

“Chris,” she whispered against his lips. “Take me home.”


	4. Go Deep

The ride to Janelle’s apartment was intense, to say the least. Chris could barely keep his eyes on the road. Every now and then he would glance over and watch as Janelle’s chest rose and fell as she breathed or watch how her lips parted as she gave him directions. Also, Janelle’s hand was on his thigh lazily drawing unknown figures and shapes with her nimble fingers. It took everything in him to not pull over his car and fuck her right then and there.

When they finally arrived at her place, neither of them spoke as they exited his car and walked up the stairs to the entranceway. She could feel his eyes on her as she punched in the access code to the building. “We’re here,” she said, finally breaking the long silence, when the code went through. Yet, the silence returned once again as they approached the elevator.

She hit the “up” button and again felt Chris’ eyes on her. The elevator dinged and Chris followed her into it. She hit the “seven” button on the elevator and watched as the numbers over the doors lit up counting the floors.

 _One_.

Chris surprised Janelle by suddenly grabbing her hand and pulling her close to him. He cupped one side of her face as he pulled her into a passionate kiss; nearly taking her breath away.

 _Two_.

Janelle moaned as his lips moved from hers to her neck. She felt his tongue lightly graze over her skin. He pressed her into the back of the elevator. She ran her hands up his toned back.

 _Three_.

Chris ran his hands down the small of her back; stopping right above her ass. "Touch me," she whispered his ear.

"Here?" he asked looking up into the camera he spotted in the corner of the elevator when he first entered.

"Yes."

He kissed her again this time allowing himself to drop both hands on her ass and squeeze the cheeks tight.

 _Four_.

Janelle's tongue invaded his mouth. She swirled it around his and moaned at the taste of him. She moved her hands from his shoulders to the front of his pants. His breath hitched as she palmed his growing erection.

 _Five_.

They really shouldn’t be doing this. Not here. They could stop on any floor and someone could come in. They would get arrested for lewdness or indecency. But the feeling of her hand on his throbbing cock blocked all thoughts outside of wanting to touch her. He pulled up the bottom of her dress far enough to gain him access to that sweet spot between her thighs. She was already wet.

 _Six_.

He rubbed his fingers against the outside of her panties and her back arched in response. Her breathing became heavy and ragged and she began to grind slowly against him.  He just worked up the courage to push the thin fabric to the side and slide a finger inside her when...

 _Seven_.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. They stood there for a quick second, his finger still inside her, her eyes low and hazy. "Which apartment?"

Janelle could barely think. “Um….Seven….7E.”

Chris removed his hand from between her legs and quickly helped her fix her dress. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the elevator; its doors narrowly closing in on them. “Left or right?”

“Left.” She let him continue to pull her towards her own apartment. She was still slightly dazed from the elevator and her clit pulsed at the memory of his tongue on her neck and his finger inside her. God, she wanted to fuck him right there in the hallway.

“Key, please.” Chris’ voice brought her back to the present. She reached into her purse and searched for it.

 _Goddammit! Where is it?_ She was tempted to dump the contents of her purse over onto the ground, grab her apartment key, and just leave whatever remnants in the hallway. She mentally laughed at her eagerness. _Damn, Janelle. This white boy got you all fucked up._

She found her key and unlocked her apartment door. Janelle flicked the light on when they entered. “So...this is it.”  She set down her keys and began removing her heels. “I know it’s not much but it’s mine,” she said with a smile.

“It’s gorgeous,” Chris replied looking her up and down.  
  
She walked up to him, grabbed his tie and pulled him down for another kiss.  “You know what my favorite room is?” He didn’t answer but his eyes dropped down to her lips before meeting back with hers. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to her bedroom. Chris watched round ass bounce in her figure-hugging dress with each step.  
  
She turned the light dimmer on low before walking to her computer. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled before making a few clicks with the mouse. TLC’s “No Scrubs” poured out of the speakers and Chris bowed his head and laughed. “I’m just playing,” she said before switching it to another song. Chris bobbed his head gently to the sound of The Isley Brother’s “Between the Sheets” filling the room.  

She sauntered over to him. "Mind giving me a hand?" pointing to the zipper on the back of her dress.  Chris nodded and slowly pulled it down. She covered her breasts with her hands and stepped out of the rumpled garment. He licked his lips at the sight of the cheeks of her ass hanging out of the black lace of her boy shorts.

She turned to him and slowly dropped her hands from her chest; exposing her bare breasts to him. Chris' eyes lowered to her chest; a smile formed in the corner of his mouth at the sight of her. She beckoned him forward with her index finger.He walked towards her, grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard on the lips.  The intensity of it surprised her, causing her to stumble back into the wall.  
  
He broke away from her and examined her quickly. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry.”   

She giggled and waved her hand. “It’s okay,” she said before grabbing his face and pulling him back down to her lips.

He continued to kiss down her neck and chest. He cupped one breast in his hand and ran his tongue over the nipple until it hardened in his mouth. He released it with a wet pop, then brought his lips back to bite at it very lightly.  Janelle groaned and grabbed a handful of his hair as he moved to her other breast.

He traced his tongue down her stomach and stopped above the band of her panties.He twisted his fingers around the band and slowly inched them down,kissing and raking his teeth lightly against each section of  newly exposed skin on her hips.  Kneeling in front of her now,Chris lifted her leg onto his shoulder and Janelle tried to support herself against the wall. She shuddered as he ran his fingers down the folds of her pussy before slipping one finger, then another inside her _._

"Oh God..." She grabbed the back of his head and bucked her hips. "Mmmm..." she said savoring the feeling of his tongue eagerly flicking at her clit.

Suddenly, he pulled away from her causing her to groan in response. He rose and said, "Lie on the bed."

She did as she was told and watched as he began to undress. "Wait," she said. "Do it slowly."  

He smiled as he unbuttoned and removed his vest. Next he loosened his tie and slipped it from around his neck.  Then he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Janelle breathing slowed at the sight of him shirtless. _Teacher my ass_ , she thought at the sight of his broad muscular shoulders, long, lean torso and toned abs. She absentmindedly bit her lip. _If my teachers looked like that when I was a kid I would never have missed a day._

He unbuckled and removed his belt; followed by his pants and boxers. He stood before her fully nude and waiting for inspection. "Goddamn, boy," Janelle said eyeing his length. He smiled and walked towards her.

The Isley’s Brothers turned into Marvin Gaye’s “Distant Lover” in the background.  He fell before her and spread her legs. She strangely felt embarrassed about being exposed before him and covered herself. Chris chuckled and gently removed her hands. He pulled her closer to the edge of the bed and placed her legs on his shoulders.   He immediately began to lick at her pussy. She whimpered as he skillfully ran his tongue between her folds. He licked and sucked her clit before traveling lower and lapping up her juices. He momentarily pulled his head back and said, "Mmmm....you taste so good," before returning his head between her legs.

"Chris...I'm...I'm gonna come...," she said while clawing at the bed sheets while bucking her hips into his tongue. He hummed against her pussy but didn't stop his assault on it—not even when her body jerked as she came around his tongue.He only let out a grunt of approval and placed a kiss on the lips of her pussy before climbing on top of her. He ran the tip of his cock against her entrance and looked at her.  She nodded lazily; already aching for him to be inside of her. They both moaned as he entered her; neither of them anticipated how good it would actually feel.

He filled her completely before pulling back out. He thrust into her… again... and again... and again…steadily increasing his speed with each stroke. He licked and kissed her neck as he pumped into her.She brought one arm around his neck and the other curled under his broad shoulder as she moved her hips in rhythm with him.

Soon their movements became more frantic. She wrapped her legs around his waist causing him to thrust into her deeper. "Oh God...oh God...Chris...Chris..."

"Shit! Ja-Janelle...fuck," he breathed into her ear.

"I'm gonna..." Her head jerked back as she came. He gritted his teeth as her walls pulsed around his cock causing his own orgasm. He rolled off her, afraid to lay his full body weight on her tiny frame, and let out exhales of exhaustion.He smiled at her. She put her face in her hands and giggled before rolling onto her stomach.

He furrowed his brow at the action but his mouth still held a smile. "What's so funny?" he asked running the back of his hand down her arm.

"You! I mean...I didn't know you had it like that! I knew all that shyness was just a front!" He laughed and, before he could speak to defend himself, she kissed him and put her head on his chest and said, "You wanna go again?"

“Oh, hell yes…” He grabbed her waist and pulled her on top of him.

\-------------

Chris groggily reached for his boxers in the dark. He didn't want to turn on the lamp for fear that it would awake Janelle. He couldn't find them, of course, and grabbed and put on his pants instead. He bumped into the door frame as he walked out into the narrow hallway. He felt along the wall for a light switch and, once he found one, flipped it. He immediately regretted doing so once the flash of light hit his eyes. “Shit!” He covered his eyes and closed the bedroom door, again hoping to not awake Janelle.

He squinted as he walked toward her kitchen. He felt like a rude guest as he opened a cupboard and pulled out a glass. He opened the fridge hoping to find something to drink. She had milk and a large bottle of water. He shook his head as he poured himself a glass of water. The cool liquid felt good against his dry throat.

“You gonna pour me a glass?” Janelle’s voiced surprised him. She had snuck behind him and was wearing his button down shirt which nearly engulfed her small frame.

“Sure,” he said smiling at the image of her in his clothes. He retrieved a fresh glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. He handed her the drink.

“Thank you,” she said returning his smile.

She looked at him over the rim of the glass as she drank. It amazed him how just a look from those big brown eyes could turn him on. He began unhooking a few of the buttons on the shirt. She pursed her lips and cocked her head to one side. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m taking my shirt back.” He continued unbuttoning it until her brown skin peeked out from underneath the fabric. He took the glass from her and placed it in the sink. He pulled the shirt off of her; leaving her fully naked. He pulled her close, lifted her chin with one hand and kissed her. He dropped his other hand and grabbed her ass. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her and her legs hooked around him instinctively. He placed her on the edge of counter top and unbuttoned his pants; letting them fall around his ankles. He pulled her lips to meet his again.

As he kissed her, she rubbed her clit until she was soaking wet; and he lazily stroked himself into a full erection. Her lips parted as he entered her. He grabbed her thighs as he stroked into her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rocked her hips in rhythm to meet his. One of her legs curled around him as she dropped her head back in ecstasy. He ran his tongue across her jaw and nibbled at it before moving down her neck and biting it as well.

She whimpered out “mmm, mmm, mmm….Chris…” as he pumped into her faster. He could only reply with heavy breaths against her neck. She could feel that fire building in her stomach. Before she knew it, she came; drenching him and the counter in her juices. He managed to stroke into her a few more times before reaching his orgasm as well.

He brushed a few strands of hair from her face. He smiled and said, “Hands down...best first date ever!” She threw her head back and chuckled before giving him a playful hit on his arm. He put both hands on her face and captured her laughter with his lips.    



	5. Then The Morning Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Chris and Janelle's excellent date.

Chris wrapped himself in Janelle’s silk sheets. The feel of the fabric against his skin nearly lulled him into a deeper sleep. Suddenly he felt the weight of 112 pounds collapse on the bed next to him. “Get up!”

“What time is it,” he asked; his voice hoarse from sleep.

“Seven thirty!” Chris groaned at the time and pulled the sheets over his face. Janelle pulled them back down and continued bouncing next to him. “Get up, get up, get up!”

Chris would have smiled at her child-like excitement if it wasn’t so damn early. “Go away. Wake me when it’s eleven.” He shut his eyes tighter as if that action would help him return to his slumber.

“No! Get up and go brush your teeth.”

He furrowed his brow and rolled over to meet her face. God...how was it possible that she was even beautiful in the morning? _That’s it. She’s not human. She’s a god and I’m not worthy._ “‘Brush my teeth’? Is that your way of kicking me out?”

Janelle chuckled and lightly tapped his nose with a package he couldn’t make out in his grogginess. “No. That was an invitation. Here’s a toothbrush. I always buy extra. I blame my mother.”

He took the toothbrush and stretched his arms out in a yawn before asking, “An invitation to...?”

“To kiss me, Chris.” He smiled and ran his hands up her thighs as she straddled him. “I want to kiss and fuck you before I go to church.”

“What--”

She covered his mouth with her hand. “Don’t speak. Your morning breath might kill my libido.” She felt him smile against the palm of her hand. She leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead and the lids of his eyes. “Now go brush so my heathen ass can get some of that before service.” She flipped off of him and he released another yawn as he threw his legs over the side of the bed.

“I need my pants.”

“What for? I’m just gonna pull them off of you again.” She gently pushed his shoulders. “Now, hurry up so you can come back to bed!”

“I’m going!” He sluggishly dragged himself across the hall to the bathroom. He yelped as he splashed some cold water on his face; fully awaking himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Janelle’s tiny figure appear in the bathroom door frame as he brushed his teeth. She sauntered up to him and sat on the counter while he continued brushing. He spat and rinsed out his mouth. “Are you making sure I floss as well?” he joked.

“Maybe…,” she responded with a smile.

Chris soured his face and playfully asked, “Oh, god...you’re a morning person aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.” She rubbed her leg against his and giggled when his cock twitched in response. Her giggle lapsed into a gasp when he suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He planted a hungry, fresh-breathed kiss on her lips. “Hmm...much better,” she said when their lips pulled away from each other.

“Well...kisses are a great motivation.” He untied her robe and let out an “ooh” at the sight of her naked brown skin peeking out underneath the pink terrycloth. “But this is an even better one.” He rubbed his thumb over her nipple and smiled in response as it hardened at his touch. She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes at the feeling of his hands on her. “Now what else did you want me to do? Oh, yes...Kiss you…,” he grabbed her thighs and yanked her to the edge of the counter, “and fuck you.”

Janelle held up her hands in protest. “Wait. Not in here. My bathroom’s _way_ too small. Take me to the bedroom.”

Chris looked across the hall at her bedroom; the edge of the bed barely in view of the door frame. He turned back to Janelle and pouted. “But it’s so far away,” he said before kissing the side of her face.

“I know," she said before closing her eyes at the feeling of his lips now moving down her neck. “But think of the positions you could put me in if we had more space.”

Chris pulled back from Janelle's neck and smirked.  
  
“I like the way you think, woman.” He said as he lifted her off the counter  
  
He was already hard when she wrapped her legs around his waist, but feeling her wet pussy slipping along the underside of his cock as she wiggled and bounced with each step he took nearly sent him over the edge.    
  
“You keep moving like that and I’m not going to make it to the bed,” he playfully warned.  
  
“Oh, really?” She smile mischievously and deliberately ground her hips into him.  
  
He sucked air through clenched teeth and stopped in the middle of the hallway. “Nope! Can’t make it. We’re doing this here. Now!”  
  
“You made a valiant effort, good sir.” Janelle giggled before placing several kisses on his lips.  
  
Chris let one of Janelle’s legs drop so that she was half-straddling him.  He crouched down and pressed her back against the cool of the wall behind her. Large hands grasped her ass as he lifted her and simultaneously thrust into her with a groan. She gasped and bit her lip at the feeling of him filling her. “F-fuck…,” she whispered while wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Oh, God… Oh… Fuck!” his breath was hot against her neck.  
  
Soon the only sounds were of his grunts and her moans. She could feel the muscles in his back flexing and contracting with his every movement. She clawed at his back as he frantically thrust into her causing the clock over them to fall to the floor.

“Shit! Sorry,” He said breathlessly.

“It’s...It’s okay…” Janelle said in his ear. “Just...Don’t stop. I’m almost there…”

Chris gritted his teeth as her pussy pulsed around his cock drawing his own orgasm. They remained wrapped in each other’s arms, covered in sweat, and gasping for air. He wiped a lock of her hair from her face and planted a soft kiss in its place.

She smiled at the tender gesture, “I gotta take a shower,” she pouted not wanting to leave his embrace.

“I'll come with you.”

“To shower? We’re just gonna end up back in this situation, Chris, and service starts at 9:30... I'm already going to be pressed for time. Sorry, dude. Playtime’s over...”

“What? No! You’re the one who woke me up wanting to fuck before church,” he joked. “Now you got me all riled up.” He kissed her cheeks. “Once you start this ride up there’s no stopping it, baby!”

She playfully slapped his shoulder before laughing along with him. “You’re terrible. And your jokes are terrible. But, goddamn are you cute.” She sighed and relented. “Okay...You win!”

“Yes,” he exclaimed before smiling broadly and carrying her back to the bathroom.

\-----------------

They could barely keep their hands off one another while waiting in the hall for the elevator. “You sure you don’t want to spend the night,” Janelle asked before pecking him on the lips.

“I _really_ want to but, ugh, I have to work tomorrow.”

“No...Play hooky. Stay and play with me.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Now that is the most tempting offer I’ve ever had but… If I don’t work, I can’t pay the bills.”

“Ugh. Adult shit,” she said pouting.

“Don’t you just hate it?” He grabbed her bottom lip between his own and sucked on it. She wrapped her arms around him and murmured out an “mmmm.” They remained like that until the dinging of the elevator called their attention. They pulled apart and entered the elevator.

“Good morning, Mrs. Sanchez,” Janelle said to an elderly woman who was already inside.

The woman smiled at them. “Well...Good morning Miss McNeal. I see your Sunday is already off to a better start than mine!” Janelle blushed and nodded. “Is this your boyfriend?”

“Uh…,” she started and turned to Chris. His eyes were wide at the question. “Uh...w-we’re...close friends, Mrs. Sanchez. _Really_ close.”

The old woman smiled and winked at the couple. “I understand, honey. I was young once.”

Janelle grinned politely but her neighbor had made the rest of the the elevator ride awkward. When it opened to the main floor Janelle pulled Chris aside. “I...I just want to apologize about the whole ‘boyfriend’ thing. I’m not trying to pressure you or anything…”

“It’s okay! Really. I didn’t think twice about it.”

“Really? Because the look on your face when she said ‘boyfriend’...It looked like you were an inch away from opening the door and jumping down the elevator shaft…”

“O-oh….uh…” His eyes darted around while trying to find a way to apologize.

Janelle burst out into a loud laugh. “You’re so fucking cute.”

“I am?”

“Yes. Look. It’s okay. I mean, we only known each other a few days--despite the fact that we fucked three times this morning alone.”

He grinned at the remembrance. “And I enjoyed myself _every_ time.”

She rolled her eyes and lightly shook her head. “Oh. I know you did.” She grabbed the edge of his vest and pulled him down for another kiss.

“I, uh, I do want to see you again.”

“I want to be seen again. I mean, I haven't even properly thanked you yet.”

Chris furrowed his brow. “For what?”

“For saving me from certain death by a B-movie monster at that party.”

“Oh, yeah... _that_ ,” he chuckled. “I almost forgot. Well, you know what they say,” he pulled her close to him and looked off into the distance, “‘With great power comes great responsibility.’”

“Oh my god...Spider-man? Really?” She inhaled sharply and added, “I don’t know... I pictured you more as an X-Men. Someone like...Beast. ”

“ _Beast?_ Actually, I like that. A hero is a hero, right?” 

He looked into her eyes and neither of them wanted to let go. Finally, Janelle said, “You have my number. Give me a call sometime.” She winked at him before walking out to the sidewalk.

“Definitely.” He took a moment to admire the way her hips and ass moved with each step before turning on his heel and walking towards the parking lot entrance. His cell rang and he smiled at the number before answering with a laugh. “Macks!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL at that title. I really am absolutely shit at titles. And, yes that IS a Smash Mouth song, in case you were wondering. And If you weren't....well now you know. -- JayWrites


	6. Come and Talk to Me

Chris gleefully sung along to the pop tune playing on the car radio as he drove to Mackie’s house for dinner. He was barely paying attention to the road; instead his mind wandered back to Janelle. It had been almost a week since they last saw each other but he could still remember the feeling of her petite hands creeping up his thigh as he tried to drive her to her apartment. He could still feel her soft plump lips against his as they kissed in the elevator. He bet that if he tried hard enough he could probably conjure up the bittersweet taste of the heaven that lay between her thighs. He could still feel her nails raking down his back as he drove himself deeper into her wet warmth. He had called her the following day just to check up on her and the moment her soft voice came through the receiver he swore he could still feel her breath on his neck as he called out his name in ecstasy.

He was so enthralled in his memories that he ran through a red light—a fact that was only brought to his attention when he saw flashing red and blue lights behind him. He pulled over and nervously shifted to pull his wallet from his back pocket. He removed his license from it before leaning over and digging for his registration from the glove box. A thick tap against the glass of his window interrupted his search.

He rolled down the window and gave the officer his best smile. “Hello, officer. Was I speeding?”

“Yes,” the officer replied. “And you sped right through a red light.”

The smile dropped from Chris’s face. “Oh. Well I explain. See I was…”

“License and registration.”

Chris sighed in defeat and handed her his information. After receiving his ticket—the exorbitant price nearly sending him to tears—he continued on to Mackie’s house. Mackie was standing in the driveway by the time Chris pulled up.

“You’re late,” Mackie said tapping his watch.

“Only by,” he looked at his watch, “shit…thirty minutes. Sorry I got pulled over.” He opened the back of his car and pulled out a cake plate with a chocolate cake sitting inside and a large white plastic bag.

Mackie took the plate from him. “Shit. Really?”

“Really. I got…distracted.”

A knowing smirk grew across Mackie’s face. “Distracted, huh? Does this distraction happen to be named Janelle?” Chris shrugged and smiled but said nothing. “Shit, man! Y’all only had one date and she already has your nose wide open. Got you getting fined and shit. Y’all must’ve had one hell of a date.”

Chris patted his friend on the back. “I’m not saying a word.”

“Oh, I’m not worried. Tasha’s gonna pull it outta you.

The moment they entered the house Mackie’s five-year-old son, Tony, rushed up to Chris and hugged his legs. “Uncle Tofu!”

Chris smiled at the nickname and picked him up. “Hey, Tony! I brought you something.” He put the child back down and reached inside the white plastic bag and pulled out a remote controlled toy truck. Upon seeing the toy, Tony bounced up and down and hugged Chris’ legs again.

“Thank you, Uncle Tofu!” He fell to the floor and immediately began working on removing the toy from its box.

 “You spoil him,” Tasha, Mackie’s wife, said as she entered the living room.

“Well,” Chris placed a platonic kiss on his friend’s wife’s cheek as he hugged her, “I guess that’s what his Uncle _Tofu_ ’s supposed to do.” He shot a look at Mackie when who only burst into a fit of laughter.

“What? I never thought it would catch on, man. Honestly.” He began to laugh harder.

“Okay, boys,” Tasha interrupted. “Anthony, baby, take that cake into the kitchen and, TJ, take that to your room. Your dad will be in there soon to open it for you.”

“Yes, mama!”

Tasha placed a gentle kiss on her son’s head before he carried the gift to the back of the house. “How have you been, Chris?”

“I’ve been okay, Tash.”

“Don’t believe him,” Mackie said as he walked through the living room with a pair of scissors in his hand. “He had a hot date last weekend and has been really quiet about it.”

Chris glared at his friend but Tasha smiled at the news. “A date? I thought you gave up the dating scene.”

“Well…”

“That was before,” Mackie interrupted; his hands held broken parts of the box his son’s toy came in, “he met _Janelle_.” He said her name in a mock French accent.

“Ooh. She’s French,” Tasha asked wide-eyed.

“No she’s…”

Mackie cut Chris off again. “She’s black!”

“Goddammit, Macks…” Chris’ voice was tensed. He loved Mackie like a brother but sometimes he just didn’t know when to quit.

Thankfully, Tasha noticed the annoyance in Chris’ voice and said, “Anthony, how about you go set the table and, Chris, go wash up. Dinner should be ready in a few.” Chris nodded and walked to the hall bathroom. When he was out of earshot, Tasha turned to her husband and said, “Don’t give him so much shit, Anthony, or else he’ll never tell us anything! You have to pull it out of him slowly.”

“See, this is why I married you. It’ll be just like sophomore year of college all over again!” They both laughed as Mackie wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

“Mmm…Your kisses are still sweet after thirteen years.”

“Something’s got to be sweet about him,” Chris said interrupting their moment.

“You could have this, too, if you quit fucking around, boy.” Mackie placed another sweet peck on Tasha’s lips and Chris smiled as he watched them.

 _I want that, too,_ he thought.

————-

Laughter filled the dining room as Chris recounted the list of rules Eddie and Anthony had given him. “Um… ‘The only dance that will not offend her is the Macarena but you do _not_ start it. You can only join in.’”

The adults laughed again while Tony pushed around the broccoli on his plate with his fork as he eyed the chocolate cake sitting at the end of the table. Tasha noticed him. “TJ, no dessert until you finish your broccoli.”

“But it’s nasty!”

“How would you know if you never tried it?”

“No!”

“Tony,” Chris interjected, “If I eat mine will you eat yours?” Tony crossed his arms across his chest in defiance and shook his head. “C’mon! Just one. And then we can both have cake.”

The adults watched as Tony’s little eyes shifted from left to right as he mulled it over. He eyed Chris as he slowly picked up his fork and stabbed the stem of the vegetable and brought it to his mouth. Chris copied him and they stared each other down. Chris shoved the entire vegetable in his mouth, chewed and swallowed it. Tony stared at it for a moment longer before finally sticking his tongue out and licking it. He recoiled at the taste of it and dropped the fork back on his plate with a clank before pouting and refolding his arms across his chest.

“I tried,” Chris said before eating another piece of broccoli.

“Thanks, dude.” Mackie wiped his mouth with a napkin. “You’re not gonna get any desert until you finish, lil man. You know this.”

“Fine,” he said defiantly. “I don’t want cake anyway!”

Tasha was unfazed by her son’s tantrum. “Well, you are excused then. Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed.” Tony opened his mouth to object but Tasha held her hand up to silence him. “And please remember, dear, that I have spent _hours_ on this meal only for you to throw a hissy fit over it. So I am _not_ in the mood for any lip.” She leaned closer to him and, with a smile on her face and a stern tone, said, “Now. Get up. And do as I tell you.” The child didn’t argue with her but he did drag his feet as he made his way to his bedroom in one last act of defiance.

“And you’re eating that broccoli for lunch, young man,” Mackie called out behind him before chuckling at the loud groan his son huffed out.

“Wow. Your mom voice is _scary_ , Tash,” Chris joked.

She laughed. “Boy, please. That was nothing. You should see me when I’m _really_ upset. But enough about me. Now that it’s just us adults tell me more about this Janelle.”

Chris leaned back in his chair and sighed. “What do you want to know?”

“Well…I want to know more about this amazing date you’re being so secretive about.”

“I’m not being secretive.”

“Okay, Chris, babe, I’ve known you since I was nineteen…”

“And I’ve known you since I was thirteen,” Mackie chimed in as he rose to get a knife to cut the chocolate cake.

“Right. So we know when you’re bullshitting. Just tell us about the date.”

Mackie placed a plate of cake in front of Chris and Tasha. Chris looked up at him when he did so and saw that Mackie had a smirk on his face.

 “You guys are gonna keep harassing me until I talk, aren’t you?”

“Yep,” Mackie said as he took the seat next to his wife.

“Team Mack Attack in full effect!” Tasha held out her hand and Mackie slapped it.

“Ugh. I hate Team Mack Attack.”

“We know,” they both gleefully responded.

Chris exhaled a sigh of reluctance and relayed the events of his and Janelle’s date. Mackie nearly fell off his chair laughing at Chris repeating the lyrics to TLC’s “No Scrub” in his nervousness and Tasha swooned at the adorableness of his and Janelle’s banter and the kiss.

“So what happened _after_ the kiss,” Mackie asked before licking the chocolate icing off the fork from his second helping of cake.

“Yes, did you ask her for a second date?”

“Screw the next date! I wanna know if y’all bumped uglies or nah?”

Tasha rolled her eyes at her husband but Chris couldn’t help but to chuckle at the comment. “‘Bump uglies?’ No one says that anymore, Macks. And even if they did…I’m not telling you.”

“Oh my god,” Tasha put her head in her hands. “You did! You had sex with her on the first date.”

“What? H-how would you…”

“Thirteen years, Chris! My bullshit detector just lit all the way up just now.”

“Yep, son,” Mackie agreed. “It was the way you said ‘I’m not telling you.’”

Chris squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Fine,” he relented. “Fucking Mack Attack! Yes. We had sex.”

“My man!” Mackie put his fist up and Chris shrugged and bumped it.

Tasha rolled her eyes at the display. “But on the first date? I’m very disappointed in you, Christopher.”

“You’re disappointed in me? You’re cute, Tash. What was I supposed to do? _She_ invited _me_ up. I wasn’t going to say no.”

“But how are you guys ever going to build a lasting relationship if you just jump into sex?”

Chris raised an eyebrow at her inquiry. “How are you this old fashion, Tash?”

She was about to defend herself but Mackie placed a hand on her shoulder and played mediator. “Tasha, Chris is a grown man. Likewise, Janelle is a grown woman and they both make their own choices. You don’t have to agree with it but you _do_ have to respect it.” Tasha sighed and nodded in agreement.

“Sorry, Chris. My strict religious upbringing kind of took over for a minute.”

“It’s okay,” Chris replied with a smile. “I still love you.”

“Much better. Now, back to important matters.” Anthony clasped his hands together before giving his best friend a broad gap toothed grin. “Tell me every fucking thing! Was it good? Is she a freak? With a name like Janelle she gotta have a lil’ bit of freak in her!”

Chris chuckled and was about to divulge the details when Tasha shot up from her seat. “Nope! I don’t not want to hear this! I am not gonna sit here and listen to you guys’ nasty talk. I’m gonna go check on the baby.” She placed a kiss on Mackie’s temple. “I bet you the bank account he’s still not sleep yet.”

When Tasha had disappeared to the back of the house Mackie continued the conversation. “So…Tell me! Was the sex good or nah?”

Chris reclined in his seat; a large grin spread across his face. “Macks! It was…amazing!”

“Yeah? Well, alright, alright, man!”

————-

Janelle scooped a spoon of yogurt into her mouth and rested her feet on her coffee table as she waited for her twin sister to return her call. She was about to eat another spoonful when the loud buzzing of her cell on the table surprised her and sent the treat flying back onto her chest.

“Shit,” she said while trying to hurriedly scoop up the yogurt before her phone stopped buzzing. “Shit,” she repeated as she threw the treat into its container before hitting the “answer” button on her cell. “Hey, Ana.”

“Hey, hey, Jane! Sorry about cutting out on you earlier. This service sucks ass.”

“I keep telling you to switch companies but no…you won’t listen to your big sister.” Janelle walked to the kitchen and wiped the yogurt off her chest.

“And I keep telling you I am not paying $200 for early termination fees. I can hold out for another year. And you’re only older by two minutes! But since I’m the prettier one I’ll let you have that.” They both chuckled at the joke before Anaïs continued. “So what you’re doing?”

“Well, currently I’m cleaning yogurt off my tits.”

“Ooh. You and this Chris guy must really be into some freaky shit.”

Janelle giggled. “I should have never told you about him.”

When she had returned home after service last Sunday, Janelle had immediately called her sister and gushed about her excellent weekend. By the time the call had ended nearly and hour and a half later, Anaïs had known every single detail of the date. She knew her sister had changed outfits five times before finally settling on the dark blue figure hugging number she wore. She sympathetically got annoyed when Janelle explained her tardiness to the dinner was due to some bullshit involving the subway. Her appetite awoke when Janelle described the delicious savor of the meal they ate and she nearly fell off her couch laughing at the list that Chris’s friends had given him.

She also listened intently as Janelle described the feeling of Chris’ lips on hers as his hands roamed over her body and how skillfully his tongue danced over her clit. She smiled broadly as her sister went on to detail the length and girth of Chris’ size and how well he used it.

“I’m not gonna lie,” Anaïs said, “I’m kinda surprised that you’ve only been in Boston five months and you already got a boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Janelle corrected. “He’s just a…,” she paused as she tried to search for the perfect word to describe Chris. They technically weren’t friends and how long and often should people be having sex to be considered lovers? They had worn each other out Saturday evening and would have done the same Sunday morning if she hadn’t had to rush off to church. They had the quantity down to be considered lovers for sure but a weekend didn’t feel like the proper length. _Well then we’re not lovers_ , she thought, _so I guess we’re…_

“Fuck buddies,” Anaïs’ voice interrupted Janelles thoughts.

“What?”

“You say he’s not your BF then he’s your fuck buddy. He’s the dude you call when you need your back blown out.” Janelle tried to stifle a laugh but failed. “I mean I understand. You’re young. He’s young, right? You guys got about another five years before you can even think about something serious. I say do you, girl.”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing, Ana. I don’t want another fuck buddy. I did that when I was nineteen and twenty and,” she sighed, “when I was twenty-one. I’m kinda done with that whole scene. I think I’m at that stage in my life where I’m looking for something…substantial, you know?”

“Then tell him! When is you guys’ next date?”

“Tomorrow. We’re having coffee at some place. I forgot the name.”

“Coffee. Good. Nice and casual. Then, right when he’s comfortable, you hit him with, ‘So, my dude, what are we? I can’t keep letting you get in this good pussy without some further clarification, understand?’”

“Ana!” Janelle held her side to ease the pain her raucous laughter was causing. “I’m so through with you! I should have never called your foolish ass!”

“I keeps it real, sis. But seriously, I do think you should just lay it out for him. Tell him to define that shit for you. Are you his girl or not?”

“That’s the thing. I really don’t want another fuck buddy but I don’t think I’m ready for another relationship either. I mean, especially after—”

“Jared?”

Janelle instinctively sucked her teeth at the name of her ex. “I refuse to let that asshole’s name leave my beautiful lips.”

“So because of He Who Shall Not Be Named you’re just gonna close yourself off to other opportunities? You like this Chris guy. I can tell because you won’t fucking shut up about him.”

“Sorry.”

“No, I’m not complaining. I like having Happy Jane back. And if this Chris guy is giving me back my happy big sis then I like him as well. Hell, I think I might love him! All I’m saying is—”

There was a long silent pause. “Is,” Janelle coaxed. “Is? Ana, you there?” She pulled the phone from her ear and saw that the call had dropped again. “She really needs to change her company,” she said to herself as she walked towards her bedroom.

Janelle opened her closet and proceeded to pull out racks of dresses. She still hadn’t figured out what she was going to wear on her date with Chris. Coffee required casual attire but she also wanted to look so effortlessly drop dead gorgeous that every woman in the building would tighten her grip on her man out of fear they would leave them as well as make Chris would come in his pants. She smiled devilishly at the mental image of him quietly sitting at a table in the restaurant one minute before suddenly clutching the edges of the table as his mouth hung agape and his bottom lip quivered at the sight of her.

Right when she had eliminated a couple of dresses, her cell rang again. “Ana, you really need to change phone companies because this dropping calls shit is for the birds.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Janelle gasped and her eyes grew wide. They never spoke to each other like that—not even in anger. “Ana!”

“Well, I don’t give a good goddamn! Tell your mother, mama’s boy! Tell her she can come see me if she don’t like my attitude! That bitch know where we live!”

Janelle’s shock (and impending anger) quelled at the phrase “mama’s boy.” She knew her sister wasn’t speaking to her but, in fact, to her long time boyfriend, Quentin. “Ana,” she called out so loudly that she was afraid she would disturb her neighbors. “Ana, can you hear me?”

“Jane! Sorry, girl.”

“You and Q still fighting, huh?”

“Aren’t we always? Sorry. Anyway where were we?”

Janelle lifted a dress up to her frame and titled her head to one side as she looked at herself in the full length mirror that hung on her closet door. “You were giving me relationship advice.”

Anaïs noticed the sarcasm in her sister’s tone. “Hey, don’t be giving me shit now. Q and I aren’t perfect—sometimes he can be a real shithead! Yeah, I said it, asshole!—but we still love each other. In our own way.”

“Yeah, I know.” It was true. Anaïs and Quentin had been together for nearly a decade and she knew that they fought—often and loudly—but they always had each other’s backs. Quentin would go to hell and back for her sister and Janelle always appreciated him for it.

“So,” Anaïs started, “about you and this Chris dude.”

Janelle sighed and threw the dress in her hand on the bed and grabbed another one. “What about him?”

“I…,” she paused for a moment while she tried to find the right words. “I think…,” Anaïs said gingerly, “from what you said he seems like a really decent guy. He’s cute, funny, a good kisser and he can put it on you. I mean, the guy reads like a keeper in any book.”

“Mmm-hmm…But?”

“But…you shouldn’t be afraid to open yourself up to this guy because of Ja—uh—that asshole.”

Janelle pursed her lips as she quietly thought about her sister’s words. “I…I still don’t think I’m ready for anything serious.”

“Jane, baby, do you hear yourself? You don’t want a fuck buddy but you also don’t want a relationship? Now one of those things is a lie.” Anaïs waited for Janelle to speak and, when she didn’t, she continued. “Look, I’m not saying you should run off and marry the dude and have a bunch of babies. I just… I don’t want you to close yourself off to new things because you’re afraid of getting hurt.”

Janelle sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

“Ooh! Did I just hear the ‘r’ word?”

Janelle chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Oh no…”

“Say it one more time for the mezzanine, darling! I was what?”

“Shit. You are right. Happy, Ana?”

“Fucking ecstatic! Hold on lemme get a pen and write down the time so I can throw this in your face thirty years from now!”

“You are the worst,” Janelle joked. “I hate you so much!”

“Aw…,” Anaïs replied with a laugh. “I love you, too, sis!”


End file.
